Method and apparatus for automobile warming-up

ABSTRACT

This invention provides a method and an apparatus for automobile warming-up. The apparatus includes a sealed container that is filled with phase changed materials that can form supercooled liquid; a status sensor that monitors the status of the phase change material; a trigger system that induces the supercooled liquid to crystallization; a temperature sensor that monitors the temperature of the phase change materials; and a finned heat exchanger or coiled tube that is connected with the coolant recirculation system of an automobile. After an automobile is ignited, its engine heats the liquid coolant in coolant recirculation system. The heated coolant carries heat energy to the apparatus, which stores the heat energy. When the automobile is started later, the apparatus releases the stored heat energy to heat the coolant, which then warms up the automobile by coolant recirculation system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In cold weather, automobiles need to be warmed up before they are driven. If an automobile is not warmed up, frost will form on the windshield. The frost blocks drivers' sight, makes driving very difficult, even impossible. Of course, it is not comfortable to drive an automobile with cold cabin.

Normally, drivers warm up their automobiles by idling them. The idling process generates heat energy by burning fuel in engine. The heat energy warms up the engine and the coolant (which is the mixture of water and anti-freezing substances, normally being ethylene glycol) within the recirculation system of an automobile. Then, the coolant carries the heat energy to heater core, which then transfers the heat energy to the cabin of an automobile. The warm air from the heater core prevents formation of frost on the windshield of an automobile. Therefore, the drivers can have clear sight when they drive.

Although an idling process can warm up automobiles, the idling process itself consumes fuel and increases carbon dioxide emission. The increase of fuel consumption definitely increases the cost to drive an automobile. More important is that the increase of carbon dioxide emission leads to global warm weather, which is a big issue to human being. The global warm weather could cause serious disasters to human being and the earth that we live on.

In very cold weather, for example, −30 Celsius degrees, the lubricating system of the engine of an automobile does not work well. The friction damage of the engine is very serious. This decreases the efficiency, and shorts the life, of the engine of an automobile. The idling process could be quite long to reach a comfortable cabin temperature in such could weather. It is not tolerable in some cases.

In cold weather, since fuel and air do not mix perfectly, the engine of an automobile does not burn the fuel completely. The unburned hydrocarbon is emitted to atmospheres, and causes air pollution. Since the fuel is not burned completely, more carbon monoxide is emitted as well.

Currently, engine block heater is used to speed warming up process. Canadian Patent 2,152,688; 1,176,294; 1,096,918; and 1,088,136 disclose the arts of this technology. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,943,325; 4,175,229; 4,480,604; 4,485,771; and 5,021,633 also give the details on this device. The engine block heater is an electric heating device. It is installed in the engine block of an automobile. Drivers must plug it in a power socket to supply electric energy. When they drive their automobiles, they have to remember to pull out the block heater from the power socket. It is not convenient. Moreover, this method consumes a lot of electric power. In some parking area, electric power is not available. The block heater becomes useless in this case.

Another shortage of this method is that the installation of a block heater is not easy. It increases the production cost of automobiles. Since it is installed in engine block, it may lead engine leaking sometime.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THIS INVENTION

The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for automobile warming-up. The apparatus of this invention stores the waste heat from the engine of an automobile that is running. When the automobile is started later, the stored heat energy is released and used to warm up the automobile.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the method and apparatus of the present invention for automobile warming-up.

After the engine of an automobile is ignited, the water pump of an automobile recirculates the coolant through its cooling system. The engine 1 of an automobile generates heat energy. Supposed the coolant temperature is below the open temperature of thermostat 10 at this time, the coolant carries the heat energy to finned heat exchanger or coiled tube 6 within sealed container 5 of the apparatus of this invention, then to heater core 12 of an automobile. The temperature sensor 7 within sealed container 5 of the apparatus of this invention monitors the temperature of the phase change material that can form supercooled liquid. If the temperature of the phase change material is over ten Celsius degrees of its melting point, the control board 2 of the apparatus of this invention opens valve 4 of the apparatus of this invention, then closes valve 3 of the apparatus of this invention. Now, the coolant just passes the heater core 12. When the coolant temperature reaches the open temperature of the thermostat 10 of an automobile, the thermostat opens, the coolant flows through both the radiator 11 and heater core 12.

After a period that an automobile runs, the phase change materials change to liquid status, heat energy is stored in the phase change materials that can form supercooled liquid within the sealed container 5 of the apparatus of this invention. When the automobile is ignited later, the status sensor 9 within the sealed container 5 of the apparatus of this invention monitors the status of phase change materials that can form supercooled liquid. If the status of the phase change materials that can form supercooled liquid is solid, the control board 2 of the apparatus of this invention opens valve 4 of the apparatus of this invention, and closes valve 3 of the apparatus of this invention.

If the status is liquid, the trigger 8 of the apparatus of this invention induces the phase change materials that can form supercooled liquid to solid status to release the stored heat energy. The control board 2 of the apparatus of this invention opens valve 3 of the apparatus of this invention, and closes valve 4 of the apparatus of this invention. The heat energy released by the phase change materials that can form supercooled liquid is carried to heater core and the engine by the coolant within the recirculation system of an automobile. Therefore, the automobile is warmed up. During the running of the automobile, heat energy is stored again in the phase change materials that can form supercooled liquid. The stored heat energy is ready for next time start up.

The sealed container 5 herein is made of plastics, polymers, metals, alloy, enamel or their combinations. The preferred material is made plastics or polymers.

The shape of sealed container 5 herein can be cube, rectangular parallelepiped, spheroid, cylinder, circular cone, and so on. The preferred shape is rectangular parallelepiped or cylinder.

The phase change material herein is any substance that can form supercooled liquid with water or other liquids or the mixture of water and other liquids. The preferred phase change material is aqueous solution of salts, for example, sodium sulfate decahydrate, sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate, calcium chloride hexahydrate, magnesium chloride hexahydrate, disodium hydrogen phosphate dodecahydrate, calcium nitrate trihydrate, sodium acetate trihydrate, sodium acetate anhydrate, and so on. The preferred salt is sodium acetate trihydrate. Water partition can be any percent that can form supercooled liquid. Depending on the weather at different locations, the water partition is adjusted to meet local needs.

After sealed container 5 herein is filled with phase change materials that can form supercooled liquid, it is vacuumed, then filled with inert gases.

The triggering system 8 herein is any method that can induce the supercooled liquid from liquid state to solid state. For example, the ultrasonic wave method, physical spring method, seeding crystallization, circulating pump method, mechanical stirring method and so on.

The status sensor 9 herein is any type sensor that can monitor the status of the phase change materials that can form supercooled liquid.

The temperature sensor 7 herein is any type sensor that can monitor the temperature of the phase change materials that can form supercooled liquid. The sensor herein should work when the phase change materials herein is at both solid and liquid status.

In theory, as long as the phase change material that can form supercooled liquid does not have any chemical change, and no other material enters the sealed container during the application, the apparatus of the present invention can be used unlimitedly. In other word, the apparatus of the present invention described above can have a very long life, which can match the warranty of the automobiles or like. 

1. A method and an apparatus for automobile warming-up comprising: a. A sealed container filled with phase change materials that can form supercooled liquid. b. A triggering system in the closed container to induce the phase change materials from supercooled status to solid status. c. A status sensor that monitors the status of phase change materials that can form supercooled liquid. d. A temperature sensor that monitors the temperature of phase change materials that can form supercooled liquid. e. A finned heat exchanger or coiled tube that connects to recirculation system of an automobile.
 2. The phase change material in the sealed container as in claim 1 is any phase change material that can form supercooled liquid.
 3. After the sealed container is filled with phase change material that can form supercooled liquid, it is vacuumed and sealed, then filled with inert gases. The inert gases are sealed within the sealed container.
 4. The sealed container as in claim 3 is made of plastics, polymers, metals, alloy, enamel or their combinations.
 5. The triggering system as in claim 1 is any available systems that can induce the supercooled liquid to crystallization.
 6. The triggering system as in claim 5 can be installed inside or outside of the sealed container.
 7. The status sensor as in claim 1 is any available sensor that can monitor the liquid status and solid status of the phase change materials that can form supercooled liquid.
 8. The status sensor as in claim 7 can be installed inside or outside of the closed container.
 9. The temperature sensor as in claim 1 is any available sensor that can monitor the temperature of the phase change materials that can form supercooled liquid.
 10. The method and apparatus as in claim 1 can be used for any internal combustion engine with liquid cooling system. 